Bouvier des Flandres

Coat & Grooming: Bouviers have a very thick double coat, and require intense twice or thrice weekly brushings to prevent knots and mats from forming in their coat. His fur should be also be trimmed every 3 to 5 weeks if you want to maintain the standard Bouvier des Flandres silhouette. Their nails should also be trimmed every other week.

Coat length: Medium

Grooming: Frequent

Shedding: It is often thought that this is a dog that doesn't shed. In actuality, as their hair falls out naturally, it tends to get caught in the secondary layer of the coat and causes it to become matted. For that reason, you should brush your Bouvier regularly.

Training: The Bouvier des Flandres is a serious dog for serious owners. Simply put, this breed can be a challenge for novice dog owners, but with patience and a firm and consistent hand, Bouviers are sharp dogs and make an excellent pet and companion. Just remember to keep them active and entertained, or they can develop destructive behavioral problems, such as excessive barking or chewing. Bouviers also tend to be naturally territorial, so early socialization is very important in their development. This is a great dog to enroll in agility training or herding workshops. They are also ideal for use in dog carting events.

Barking: Understanding your dog: Not chatty by nature, the Bouvier tends to only bark when he's in guard dog mode or if something grabs their attention. Like most dogs, it's important to curb excessive barking with training, or you can easily be overwhelmed by this breed's booming voice.

Temperament & Behavior: Bouviers really are gentle giants, and are usually very devoted and sweet with their owners. They still make excellent guard dogs, and unlike other large breeds that are bred for aggression, the Bouvier des Flandres is incredibly rational and complex, and displays great restraint and intelligence when it comes to knowing its own strength. They strike a great balance when it comes to being a fierce and loyal guard dog, but also a kind and sweet playmate with young children. Some breeders feel that a contributing factor to the breed's love of children is that they are slow to develop. Bouviers take about 2-3 years to mature, and it's assumed that being a puppy for so long gives them a lot of time to bond with the children of their family.

Behavior with kids: With early socialization, Bouviers prove to be devoted and beloved family pets, and can often be found minding children like a four legged nanny. Due to their size and enthusiasm, it's always best to supervise your Bouvier with young children.

Protection: Bouviers are frequently trained as police dogs and served as trench dogs in both world wars. They are keen guard dogs and the trait comes naturally to most of them without training.

Life Span: On average, Bouviers live to be about 10-12 years old.

Inherited health issues: As with any breed, several health conditions occur more frequently in the Bouvier des Flandres than other breeds. This can be either due to a genetic predisposition or simply at an increased frequency within the breed for other factors. Genetic screening tests are available for some conditions, and responsible breeders often perform testing on their dogs prior to breeding. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, the following: Muscular dystrophy, Elbow dysplasia, Prostatic carcinoma, Glaucoma, Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and Laryngeal paralysis.

Preventive care: An active and healthy lifestyle is the most important way to keep your Bouvier in tip top condition. Routine veterinary care is a crucial step in catching smaller problems before they become more significant.

As a large breed dog, the effects of osteoarthritis or elbow dysplasia are more pronounced in the Bouvier des Flandres. Keeping your dog at a healthy body weight will help to minimize these effects by feeding portion-controlled meals and maintaining an active lifestyle. If osteoarthritis or elbow dysplasia develop, fish oil supplements can be beneficial to decrease inflammation.

Nutrition: Bouvier des Flandres are large breed dogs and should be fed accordingly. This means that young, growing puppies should be fed a large breed puppy food for the first 12-18 months of life. As an adult dog, Bouviers should be fed good quality balanced diets in portion-controlled meals. Too much dog food, too many treats, or too many table scraps can all quickly pack on the pounds.

Daily Consumption: Average daily consumption for an adult Bouvier is 2-4 cups

Energy Level: Frisky, energetic breed that is always ready for action

Exercise: Bouviers des Flandres have been used for generations as cattle driving and sheep herding dogs, and were sometimes even hitched up to carts. They possess a great work ethic and love to work alongside humans, whether it be herding cattle or hiking in the woods. Bouviers are intelligent dogs and need constant stimulation. This is a great asset when it comes to agility training, as Bouviers love to stay active and challenged, but also bore easily. They love long daily walks and make great jogging companions. If they get sufficient exercise outdoors, they are usually happy to be couch potatoes while relaxing with their family.

Climate: These rugged dogs are hearty stock with a thick double coat and thrive in a cold or seasonal climate. It's important to make sure you have ways to keep your Bouvier cool in hot and humid weather.

Living space: With their large size, you may think that this breed is best suited to only living on farms. However, the Bouvier des Flandres is more than happy as a family pet in any sized home, so long as there is ample space for him to stretch his legs in a backyard or a nearby park.